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President Donald Trump, as well as some of the biggest names in sports, are at the White House Friday for a roundtable discussion on college sports.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president wants to save college sports,\u201d White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Friday, \u201cIt\u2019s very important to him and to so many athletes across the country to fix the broken system.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Fox News, the president is fed up with the overspending on players and the constant transfer of players between schools. A big focus of the meeting will be how to rein in NIL, which stands for name, image, and likeness. NIL is how the players make their millions. Another area of focus will be collective bargaining.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president is saying enough is enough,\u201d Darren Botelho said.<\/p>\n
Trump is not against players being paid, but instead he is focusing on keeping college sports as amateur as it can be in the new NIL era.<\/p>\n
Trump will be the chair of the Saving College Sports Roundtable, alongside vice chairs Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and New York Yankees President Randy Levine.<\/p>\n
Notable sports figures attending Friday\u2019s gathering include Nick Saban, Tiger Woods, Urban Meyer, and Tony Dungy.<\/p>\n
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is set to attend alongside several NCAA conference commissioners and media execs. In total, more than 30 people will be in attendance. As of now, there are no current players or coaches participating in the roundtable.<\/p>\n
In response to the lack of current athletes attending the roundtable, Temple University football player Kahlil Poteat said: \u201cWe deserve a seat at the table. We as athletes are the reason the stands are filled, logos are worn, and the game thrives the way it does. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed about making it to the Division I level to play the sport I love. It is unfair and unfaithful to hold a discussion without the main attraction in mind. We deserve a say, just like the executives and leaders, in sports and in our futures. I believe that we, as athletes at every level, deserve to be at the table and fight for our best interest. We want college sports to thrive just like everyone else in the room. So let\u2019s bond together to generate the best outcome for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump hasn\u2019t shied away from sports during his second term; the president signed an executive order<\/a> to ban third-party pay-for-play payments, while allowing legitimate NIL endorsement deals. He also called on schools<\/a> to expand \u201copportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women\u2019s and non-revenue sports.\u201d<\/p>\n Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has long supported Trump getting involved with the landscape of college sports. Last May, Tuberville said he is confident the Trump administration can find a solution to the current chaos at the college level.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I\u2019m all for players making money, we need to create national standards to protect the integrity of college sports,\u201d Tuberville said.<\/p>\n The roundtable meeting begins at 4:00 p.m. ET.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n